It almost seems like the New York Yankees are here to avenge. After all the mess in the World Series, they are back with a bang. The team blasted a record, hitting 15 home runs in just three games. They swept the Milwaukee Brewers with a score of 36-14. But even then, their fierce performance did not take the center stage. Rather, it is their brand new bats that are becoming viral. Enter the torpedo bats.

And where there is virality, there is chatter. While for some, this is a great loophole, some are claiming this to be shady. Brewers reliever Trevor Megill took a dig, saying that bat is more suited for “slow-pitch softball” than Major League Baseball. Plus, there even came the sweet spot debate, arguing that the Yankees have moved the spot to the middle of Volpe’s bat.

This seemed to be the tipping point for Aaron Boone.

“We moved the sweet spot on Volpe’s bat to the middle of his bat? Like, no! The sweet spot is the sweet spot. This isn’t new, other than we’re able to measure things and evaluate things a lot better now,” clapped back Aaron Boone. Mic drop! But wait, it even gets better.

Because even before he came with a fitting reply, Jazz Chisholm Jr. had crushed the haters.

Jazz Chisholm is already rocking with his stat line of .417/.500/1.167 through the first three games. He took to social media and didn’t hold back on the keyboard warriors questioning the legality. “Okay, explanation: the barrel is bigger and within MLB regulation! For the idiots that say it’s moved to the label, you’re an idiot! Nobody’s trying to get jammed—you just move the wood from the parts you don’t use to the parts you do! You’re welcome, no more stress for you all!”

And he isn’t wrong; MLB did clear them. The bat fits the rulebook description perfectly. So it’s legal for sure.

Moreover, the bats are coming to notice by many. Max Muncy has been open about wanting to give it a go and see. He even placed an order for it. And it’s not like it’s a new concept; it has been around, just wasn’t viral.

The man behind the New York Yankees torpedo bat

But the real question is—what’s this huge fuss about, and who created this? Well, the bats were created by Aaron Leanhardt. He is a former New York Yankee analytics guru who is now working for the Miami Marlins.

About the bats, they have a larger barrel and more mass. They are designed very cleverly by removing some of the wood from the handle to create a longer, stronger barrel— all the while remaining within the guidelines of the rulebook.

Meanwhile, Leanhardt suddenly became a man in the spotlight. And frankly, he was taken aback, because it’s not every day that not Aaron Boone or Judge, but Aaron Leanhardt—a field coordinator—attracts much media attention. The mastermind behind the bats said, “There’s a lot more cameras here today than I’m used to… It’s definitely been surreal for the last couple of days.” 

Despite all the newfound fame, Leanhardt is grounded. He explained that while he is happy to help the players develop, the end goal is for hitters to succeed. The bat is simply a tool! And it is true, a batter’s skill determines success. The best example is Aaron Judge. His teammates had used the bat and gotten stellar results, but he did the best even without one.

Right now, many players like Ryan Jeffers, Hernandez, and more are warming up to the idea of using this bat. Many Dodgers players sure are. Well, what’s your take – is it the tool or the skill that matters the most?